I
recently saw some discussion
about the popularity and the
future of the accordion. Being a
college student and part of
the "younger
crowd" of accordion
players I'd like to offer my
point of view

I
am a first generation
American, my parents being
from the Czech Republicwhere the Accordion
is immensely popular and by
my perception morewidespread. When I
was six years old they asked
me "Tom, would you like
tolearn to play the
accordion?" I hardly
knew what the accordion was
letalonehow one was played
but I thought "sure
what the heck."

I
took lessons every Monday
and attended band rehearsals
(accordions and drums only)
for about eleven years, with
annual competitions every
summer. I wentthrough four
different accordions over
the years as I outgrew
them--until Iwas ready for the 120 bass.

When
my elementary schoolmates
found out that I played the
accordion I wasaninstant
"geek." I
played for the school a few
times but after many scoffs
andgiggles I decided at
an early age that the
accordion was unpopular and
reserved for nerds.

It
seems the biggest reason
most kids felt this way was
because of the Steve Urkel
comedy TV show; with the
super-dork "Steve Urkel"
obnoxiously andviolently "playing" the accordion. When
I told kids I played the
accordionthey would say
"like Steve Urkel?!"
For many years I felt the
super-dorkimage had been
branded on me and therefore
felt ashamed to play
publicly.

I
am 20 years old now and took
off for college last year.
Naturally I broughtthe accordion with me, hoping to quietly play in the dorm without
arousing toomany obnoxious
comments. Odd thing was, I
started getting wide-eyed
people at my door requesting
me to play! With much
prodding of me on their part
I mustered the courage to
play for several friends.

In
short: They were amazed. Not
one had seen a live
accordion in their lives
until now. Somehow they were
now open-minded enough todispel the
"SteveUrkel"
stereotype and listen (jaws
dropped and all).

Watching
me feed air to the
accordion, play bass and
play the keyboard all at the
same time was to them like
trying to run, write and eat
a hamburger simultaneously. Its
the classic "rub your
tummy and pat your head at
the same time" analogy.

Nevertheless,
the college kids that heard
me play that night now have
a profound respect for the
accordion and they enjoy it
immensely. One described it
as the most
"soothing" music
he's ever heard.

As
more and more young people
are exposed to the accordion
in the United States, the
more their "Urkel"
stereotypes and
preconceptions will fade. I
believe that the popularity
of the accordion in the US
is on the upswing and could
eventually rival its
popularity in Europe and in
other parts of the world as
long as those sweet
accordion notes keep coming
to their ears.